How to Manage a Crisis from a Communication Perspective: A Step-by-Step Guide
As a former corporate executive and someone who has been a communications director for a congressional campaign, I can tell you: the biggest crises never come with much warning – especially in the age of social media. It takes only one minor misstep to open up an entire minefield. These unfortunate events seriously disrupt operations and tarnish the reputation of even the most well-established organizations.
The unforeseen nature of crises does not mean you should not prepare for them, however. Let’s look at the essential steps for identifying, avoiding, and managing a crisis from a communications perspective.
Identifying a Crisis
To be able to identify a crisis, it is important to know what one is.
A crisis is any significant event that creates uncertainty and poses a long-lasting threat to your organization’s reputation, mission, financial foundation, or ability to operate. These events are typically abnormal, unstable, and complex, representing a clear danger to your company’s strategic objectives, stability, or operational capability.
If not handled appropriately, a crisis can dramatically impact your organization’s ability to function, potentially causing irreversible harm.
Now that we’ve defined what a crisis is, it is time to move on to the first step in crisis communications: setting up the mechanisms that will help you spot a small wave of discord before it turns into a hurricane of negativity. This step requires vigilance and a proactive approach to identifying potential risks and vulnerabilities that could escalate into a larger issue; your team must continually monitor your internal and external environments to spot early warning signs of trouble.
For example, a communications team member should regularly review all social media accounts, including the comments section. Sales personnel also should be part of your frontline, and encouraged to elevate any concerns they are hearing from customers or suppliers.
Assessing the Risks
Once a crisis is identified, the next crucial step is to assess the level of risk it poses to your organization. Risks in crisis communication generally fall into four main categories:
1. Reputational Risk: Reputational risks can result from a variety of events, including negative publicity, customer complaints, or ethical breaches. Left unchecked, reputational damage can erode trust, hurt brand loyalty, and lead to a loss of business. Reputational risk is often the most challenging type of risk to mitigate since public perception is difficult to control.
2. Operational Risk: Operational risk refers to the threat a crisis poses to your ability to continue functioning as a business. This type of risk may include disruptions to your services, the failure of internal processes, or supply chain issues. Operational risks can lead to missed deadlines, poor customer service, and financial losses if not addressed swiftly.
3. Facility Security Risk: This risk involves physical threats to your organization’s facilities and infrastructure. Whether it’s a natural disaster, fire, or security breach, facility security risks can cause immediate disruption to your operations and jeopardize employee safety. Ensuring that proper security measures and contingency plans are in place is essential for mitigating this type of risk.
4. Legal Risk: Legal risks arise from potential lawsuits, regulatory fines, or non-compliance with industry standards. In a crisis, legal risks can significantly compound the situation, as the organization may face legal challenges, penalties, or liabilities. It is critical to assess how any crisis could potentially result in legal repercussions and ensure proper measures are taken to mitigate them.
Establishing a Crisis Communication Team
To be fully prepared it is essential to have a dedicated crisis communications team identified before a crisis even arises. This team will be responsible for managing all aspects of communication during a crisis and ensuring the right messages are delivered to the right audiences at the right time.
In addition to members of the c-suite and subject matter experts, roles within the crisis communications team may include:
Crisis Team Coordinator: Has the final say on when messaging is ready and when certain actions must take place.
Spokesperson: Communicates with the public and media.
Media Liaison: Responsible for handling media inquiries and managing press relations.
Internal Communications Lead: Ensures employees, board members, and investors are kept informed and up-to-date.
Social Media Manager: Monitors and manages the organization’s presence on social platforms.
Legal Advisor: Ensures all communications are compliant with legal and regulatory guidelines.
Each team member should have clearly defined roles and responsibilities to ensure smooth operations during a crisis. The goal is to create a coordinated and cohesive approach where everyone knows their duties and can act efficiently under pressure.
Identifying Critical Stakeholders and Tailoring Communications
Effective crisis communication depends on understanding your stakeholders and tailoring your messages to meet their needs and concerns. Key stakeholders can include:
Employees
Clients or customers
Investors
The media
Social media influencers
Regulatory bodies and lawmakers
The general public
Each of these audiences will require different information, and it is critical to craft messages that resonate with their specific interests and concerns. For instance, while employees may need reassurance about job security, investors may be more concerned with the financial stability of the organization.
Crafting the Crisis Communication Message
Once you have a crisis communications team in place – again, this should happen before a crisis even erupts – this team should meet regularly to discuss any concerns that have been elevated and to game out potential crisis scenarios.
For each scenario imagined, it is worth crafting a holding statement that could be used as a first response to a certain event. Hopefully you will never need to use this statement, but it is always great to keep in the “drawer.” (In fact, some people refer to it as a drawer statement).
The holding statement should be factual, straightforward, and demonstrate that your organization is in control of the situation. It also should be empathetic. Of course, make sure you have tailored the statement to the actual facts on the ground.
Here are some things every holding statement should include:
A factual headline: Clearly state the nature of the crisis.
The date and time: Keep stakeholders informed with up-to-date information.
The location of the incident: Identify where the crisis occurred.
Basic details that have been confirmed: Provide only confirmed facts.
When the company was made aware of the issue: This shows transparency.
Actions your organization is taking: Outline steps the company is actively taking to manage the situation.
An expression of compassion or empathy: If appropriate, express concern for those affected by the crisis.
Contact details or details on further updates: Offer a way for stakeholders to stay informed.
It is equally important to avoid certain pitfalls in communication. Your message should never include:
Unconfirmed or uncertain details: Stick to the facts.
Speculation: Avoid making assumptions about the situation.
Responses to unsubstantiated rumors: Do not give attention to unverified information.
Blame or finger-pointing: Stay focused on resolving the crisis.
Names of victims (in case of a death or serious injury): Respect privacy and legal considerations.
The Importance of Communication in Crisis Management
Clear and effective communication is the cornerstone of any successful crisis management plan. By identifying and assessing risks early, assigning dedicated team roles, crafting tailored messages for stakeholders, and maintaining transparency, your organization can not only navigate crises, but emerge stronger.
At ABIG Health, we are committed to helping healthcare organizations prepare for and manage crises with confidence, ensuring that reputational and operational risks are minimized and that all communication efforts are aligned with the organization’s goals.
